While this may not be the most upbeat blog I have written, I find it extremely important to explore all aspects of life with Spinal Cord Injury. The funny, the sad, the sexual, the depressing, and above all the raw, honest truth.

It may sound counterintuitive, but a 2,000-pound animal can help you heal – spiritually, mentally, and physically. Referred to as “equine assisted therapy,” “hippotherapy,” “therapeutic riding,” or just plain “horse therapy,” the modality has been practiced since 1946.

Swimming is so incredible for the body, especially when paralyzed because it takes the weight, the aches, and the pains away as you float. It is great for movement of the spine, energy for the soul, for anxiety, and just generally to have a lot of fun getting out of the chair.

If you want more information on how you can improve access or help your college, university, or local community tax-funded recreation programs to provide adaptive programs and equipment, you can follow the advice of Bev Vaughn, Cofounder/Executive Director of the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs:

There are many holidays throughout the year that involve family, cheer, goodwill, and celebrations. But for many people, these holidays can be a time of increased despair, loneliness, and pain. While the happy become happier, many of us in the mental health profession see the sad become sadder.

In the past, my articles have routinely been for women, but today it’s for men, especially since it is No Shave November. The discussion for today looks at the world of men, their levels of injury, and sexuality following a spinal cord injury.

As a paraplegic I am prone to a weaker immune system as well as other health complications that are common with my injury. In the fall of 2014 I was searching for an all natural way to help keep my family healthy and give me the energy and endurance to keep up with my growing family. At that time I was pregnant with my youngest son and my...

These medical supply companies have no accountability. Also, HIPAA bar’s me from asking about what other patients receive as far as cost of catheters. However, that doesn’t even matter because both Symbius and LoFric refused to give me any breakdown of charges.

Today the Rollin RN is tackling AUTONOMIC DYSREFLEXIA and if you already know about it, then it’s time for a review! It’s one of those focuses that always should to be in the forefront of any spinal cords injury topics but I haven’t seen an article lately, so here is mine. When I taught nursing students, I preferred to train from experience and this article is no different.

What happens when the “cheerleader” gets ill, that is, your caregiver can’t perform his/her duties due to illness? Difficult question and one I’m certain we have all dealt with at one time or another. I felt this was a much needed article for many that are dependent to some degree to a person or caregiver/angel for daily or occasional care. As a newbie SCI paraplegic, I still need some...

Believe me, nothing about being in a wheelchair or needing a titanium frame is a luxury. Wheelchairs are expected to last from three to five years before insurance covers another. My wheelchair is part of me. It gets a lot of wear and tear and needs to be replaced more often than insurance allows. I could go on and on. I am not a complainer. I do, however, feel...

Moving into this new existence took time, plenty of patience, and LOTS of understanding, tears, anger, and sadness. Transitioning into a life of being differently- abled isn’t effortless; it takes time and labor to evolve in a comfortable pathway for all involved. But it does happen if, and only if, you allow it to.

With the movie, “Me Before You” coming out, the topic of assisted suicide seems appropriate. I remember the first time I saw the actual list of Dr. Kevorkian’s patients and their ailments. We assume every patient was terminal, but in fact, two-thirds of the people he helped die had disabilities and were not terminally ill. As I sat there in my wheelchair, I scanned over the reasons and was...

I am feeling fantastic! VSG is a procedure similar to but is not a gastric bypass. Hate me for “cheating” if you want, but it was what I needed to do for me and my situation. There is a stereotype that people who seek weight loss surgery are lazy and don't want to try to lose weight on their own. However, my case was desperate.

I could move my head, my arms worked, my fingers stirred, I could sense my legs when I physically palpated them but I was unable to move my toes ….nope, nothing. OK, so I may be a paraplegic. My mind-set then was, “There are worse things in life than not being able to walk.” It was at that exact moment I had to choose my reaction...

We need to make more of an effort to improve our lives via the significant human interactions we all need to sustain our mental and physical health. Studies show that social interaction is necessary to prevent depression, as well as the positive physical effects of touch, eye to eye contact and mental stimulation we gain by actually being in the physical presence of others.

By taking a holistic approach on my health – I lost 35lbs, had great energy and felt healthier than I had ever felt before. The most amazing part though – is that I’ve managed to maintain this in my everyday life since… and let me tell you, it feels like an EPIC accomplishment!

You may know or have heard about people who are successful, who seem to “have it all,” but who are unhappy and unfulfilled with themselves and life. We wonder how this can be. It is likely that these people are living their lives through their false selves most if not all of the time. As such, they feel a deep sense of lack and sadness even in the face...

Oh no…..the dreaded reddened skin. You know what I’m talking about. Sitting too long, getting ready for bedtime, undressing, and there it is…..the reddened skin and immediately dreaded doom sets in. What’s it going to do? Will it fade by morning or get more “angry”? I use the term “angry” as I had a physician refer to my pressure sore as “angry” red. All I could do was bury...

Prevention of Pyelonephritis is the same as the “usual” attempt to prevent UTIs. You can do everything right and it still happens. Forcing fluids, particularly water, to flush the system, avoiding sugary fluids and sodas, and utilizing an arsenal of cranberries would be helpful also.

Sometimes one must walk through the storm in order to come through to the sun and warm breezes. Hard work, perseverance, and the desire to be better and feel better will lead you to a more happy, healthy, and peaceful you. When you are happy and feel good about yourself, you will begin to make choices that best serve you.

Please heed our warning and learn from our shared experience and monitor and do not create undue strain and disk degeneration or herniation on your cervical or lumbar spine. Take the best care of the body you have been given post injury and preserve your quality of life for as long as possible.

Anger is an emotion, as are sadness, fear, and happiness. It is when we attempt to avoid anger that it will accumulate inside our minds and bodies until it overflows in an inappropriate outburst or leads to mental and physical illnesses. When acknowledged, accepted, and expressed constructively, it can let others know how we feel, help us to understand ourselves better, and become our ally when we are ready...

Protein and spinal cord injuries: how much protein do we really need and why? This article is not just for SCI women, it’s for men, teenagers, and babies. We all need protein, but what for?
The benefits and the mysteries of protein can be further broken down (pun intended) by our dietician. Being a nurse that is also spinal cord injured, I would rather discuss our needs for protein and...

Question: I am a T3 Complete. My accident happened a year ago. I am continuing on my journey to become independent. The next goal I have is to be able to perform intermittent catheterization from my wheelchair. I am able to do this from my bed but I want to be able to travel and go to public places without the worry of getting home to cath. Currently, I use...

For many women who became disabled through accident or illness, or who were born with a physical disability, the unfulfilled lifelong dream of having a child becomes yet one more loss. This should not be the case. This is a challenge that needs to be examined collectively by society, and overcome in order to give these women an equal opportunity to become the great mothers they are fully...

By asking my limited mobility girlfriends, “How do you relieve yourself of stress?” I received a multitude of ideas. They suggested baseball games, concerts, listening to music, massages, cuddling with pets, mindless TV watching, fishing, exercise, scrapbooking, and wheelchair runs. Great ideas and one also mentioned that it is “difficult to shut off the brain at night”. So what are some ideas to help shut off...

The benefits of exercise are not restricted to people who have full mobility. In fact, if injury, disability, illness, or weight problems have limited your mobility, it is even more important to experience the mood-boosting effects of exercise. Exercise can ease depression, relieve stress and anxieties, enhance self-esteem and improve your whole outlook on life. While there are many challenges that come with having mobility issues, by adopting a...

I love the topic of parasites! Seriously, I do – because they are sooo interesting and the process of getting rid of them is super cool (even though it’s not all that cool while you’re going through it…but hey).
Back in 2014 I discovered that I had intestinal parasites through an analysis conducted by my holistic nutritionist (yes, I have one too!) – and let me tell you, these lil’...

The digestive system is the foundation of human health. It doesn't matter if you eat right, train hard, supplement and get enough Zzz's at night – it simply won’t be enough to achieve optimal health if your gut isn't in check.
One of the most common digestive disorders I've seen as a practitioner is leaky gut syndrome. It affects millions of people worldwide and can be a huge sabotaging factor...

2015…this is going to be an incredible year. It’s time to get back to sharing helpful and useful information. When I write these articles, I want to include everyone in the fact finding that I am sharing. These articles are not only for friends in wheelchairs, but also for friends of friends in wheelchairs. Read this information and get to understand more about your buddies in wheelchairs. These articles...

Experience is probably the most important attribute for a trainer to have when working with someone who has a disability. Training able bodied clients, and even elite athletes, can be taught through courses and books. The basics of training disabled clients can be taught as well, however it is the nuances between and within each disability that often can only be learned through experience.

Pushing Healthy with Liz Dunn, Graduate Student, Coordinated Master in Nutrition and Dietetics
Save Time and Stay on Track with These Three Quick Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast is unofficially called the most important meal of the day. Recent studies published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics discussed the need for a better definition of a healthful breakfast. It states that "breakfast is the first meal of the day...

PushLiving is pleased to introduce our newest contributor, Liz Dunn!
Liz is currently in her first year in the Coordinated Master in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated in spring 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Dietetics, also from the University of Pittsburgh. Her ultimate goal is to become a Registered Dietitian and work with others with spinal cord injuries to not only reach or...

PushLiving.com usually focuses on positive Lifestyle, Travel and Inclusion features. However, we want to take a moment now to educate our readers regarding how all three of these and your very life could be taken as a result of one sudden medical crisis. You could go from being perfectly fine to your body literally turning on you and creating a chain reaction that could lead to stroke or death....

Next time you encounter a woman in a wheelchair, wonder to yourself, “What has she accomplished in her life?” I’m serious. Think to yourself “what is she all about?” Because I am here to say writing this article has become a true “labor of love” and I have realized the women in wheelchairs have rolled the highest mountains. Never, I say NEVER underestimate a woman in a wheelchair...

Continuing the series on the EXQUISITE vitamins that work together to support the maintenance of our magnificent wheelchair bodies, let’s explore the benefits of Vitamin B. I don’t have an actual term for Vitamin B as I did for vitamin A (which was referred to as "Vitamin Aphrodite") but I can label this VITAMIN, B – EAUTIFUL. The B Vitamins actually consist of eight astounding vitamins that work together...

When I strive to come up with articles of interest to the Spinal Cord Injury population, I obtain my inspiration from various sources…magazines, TV, friends, family. This current article came as a request from our own co-founder and owner of Push Living, Deborah Davis. And when I research and write these articles, I learn new ideas as well, along with you all that read them. And this one is...

September is National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness month and because of that it is my mission to shout awareness of an issue near and dear to all of us in wheelchairs, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVTs) or blood clots. We, men and women, are all prone to DVTs by simply sitting most of the day. Unfortunately, due to our spinal cord injuries, we find ourselves in a sedentary position for...

Ahhh...the vitamins of beauty: A, B, C, D, and E. I love each and every one of you. I decided to take the clinical nursing day off and today I'll be discussing staying FIT AND FABULOUS from the vitamins we consume in our daily diets. I, like, many of my wheelchair-using sisters, prefer to look radiant. I would rather demonstrate to the world I can be luminous even from...

My articles are usually chats on becoming FIT AND FABULOUS but I wanted to expand on a question asked earlier and further discuss CONCUSSIONS and WHEELCHAIR FALLS. Concussions in general have been in the forefront of Sports Medicine lately with the increase of head injuries in football and soccer alike. No longer is this type of injury “accepted” as part of performing sports; experts are looking at this phenomenon...

Shortly after my spinal cord injury accident, frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) occurred. I didn’t know why but two things were for sure: the symptoms related to a UTI were not pleasant nor did I have plans to remain on prophylactic antibiotics to aid in the prevention. As a nurse, I was aware that cranberry juice was helpful in promotion of urinary tract health but that was the extent...

Patty has been a Nurse for 31 years, since 1983. She actually worked for two years prior to her spinal cord injury (SCI) in the SCI Unit at the Veterans Hospita,l working with new injuries. She then transferred to neonatal intensive care and ultimately to education of students in nursing.
Then, in 2009 she was in a car accident and sustained a spinal cord injury herself resulting in T-3/4 complete...

My recipe for healthy living
Wheelchair soul sisters unite. Let’s face it: we are all in this collectively. I am jumping right in, feet first, of course. As a woman and a nurse, who happens to be paraplegic, I have experienced a multitude of symptoms, trials, and tribulations, as you may say. My recipe for these articles is to add a dollop of stress solutions secrets, digestion supports, and glistening...

PushLiving Nutrition for an Optimized You:
How your diet can make your “Push Living” easier and less complicated.
Having a disability that affects your mobility can create more health concerns and complications if your diet is not optimized to aide you, but instead is a contributing factor in what ails you. Some of the common complaints often complicating quality of life and work for so many in our Push community include:
Skin...

For answers to all of your health and wellness questions, ask Patty, The Rollin' RN. Here are some questions she's answered:
Advice on Surrogate Pregnancies for Women with Disabilities
Post-Concussion Healing
How to Alleviate Shoulder Pain from Pushing a Wheelchair
Do you believe joint support supplements will work?

Question:
After 33 years of pushing a wheel chair (15 with power assist wheels) and finally getting a power chair and an EZ Lock system to drive from the chair, my shoulders still hurt! It has only been 2 months in the chair and 2 weeks for the EZ Lock and I don't understand why they keep hurting, even tho I am using them less?
Answer:
Thanks for the question and I...

Question:
Do you believe joint support supplements will work for my hands? Which do I invest in? I want my arms and fingers to stay healthy and pain free, but overuse is starting to affect them.
Answer:
This is a fantastic question and one that will be featured later in a complete article. Joint support supplements such as Glucosamine and/or Chondroitin are primarily used for osteoarthritis sufferers. They are used to cushion...

Question:
I fell transferring in a bathroom…knocked my back of head hard on a concrete wall. Vertigo and vomiting next day. This was 6 days ago and I am still not well. Slight nausea and fuzzy woozy feeling and shaky and vision. Just feel overall lethargic. I read Vitamins D and B were good for post-concussion healing.
I went to an Internist today that does vitamin IV infusions. He said they...

Question:
“I love the surrogate idea. I have no idea where to start so could really use your help on this one. Do you use an egg donor or can I use my 41 year old eggs?
Do I use an egg donor in me (I have read it is the age of the egg, not the uterus that matters)? I have no doubt being pregnant in a wheelchair is...